The vertical message that ran down the left side on Fox News’ Facebook page the night of October 14 read clear as that evening’s sky: “K-E-E-P T-H-E F-E-A-R A-L-I-V-E.” It was a reference to Stephen Colbert’s March to Keep Fear Alive, a gathering organized in faux-competition with this weekend’s Rally to Restore Sanity, headlined by Jon Stewart.

Minutes after the first message appeared, the same letters, in the same order, began turning up on the fan pages of Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and hilariously, Justin Bieber. Each letter was displayed in the space where a profile picture would normally be, next to a posted comment. As each Facebook user posted their comments in the right order, the message came to life.

Nanowire-Coated Cotton Cleans Water by Zapping Bacteria to Death
Illness-inducing bacteria, meet nano-engineered cotton–and a quick death. Researchers have created a new “filter” that zaps bacteria with electric fields to clean drinking water. They say their system may find use in developing countries since it requires only a small amount of voltage (a couple of car batteries, a stationary bike, or a solar panel could do the job) and cleans water an estimated 80,000 times faster than traditional devices.

Instead of trapping bacteria in small pores like many slow-going traditional filters, the cotton and silver nanowire combo uses small electric currents running through the nanowires to kill the bacteria outright. In a paper to appear in the journal Nano Letters researchers say that 20 volts and 2.5 inches worth of the material killed 98 percent of Escherichia coli in the water they tested in their lab setup.

After lying dormant for more than two years, the idea of using so-called “white spaces” spectrum for a sort of free universal broadband access is likely to be approved by the FCC at its September 23 meeting, but actual implementation of the Wi-Fi complementary technology will likely remain in limbo.

Providers must develop components, custom devices and infrastructure to take advantage of the technology and there is likely to be continued resistance from broadcasters and others. Another important question concerns carriers like AT&T and Verizon, which spent several billion dollars for the 700 MHz spectrum, which the free white spaces bands surround. Will the carriers support free white spaces technology, which could compete with its paid services?

Because white spaces technology can deliver broadband access free of charge, the phenomenon opens up the possibility of using it to provide service to underserved individuals, many of whom can’t afford to pay for existing broadband access. The Rice University researchers have worked with a Houston nonprofit organization called Technology for All that provides Wi-Fi access in a working class neighborhood in Houston. The researchers have been testing various wireless platforms and custom-built mobile phones in the neighborhood.

“I won’t play Fox News in my home, and I’m calling on businesses and other public establishments to stop playing Fox. I don’t want Fox spreading hate, lies, and division in my community, and I want to support businesses that are Fox-free”

And you get a nifty sticker for doing so:

Me, I plan on getting 50 or so and sticking them anywhere that vile hate speech is being spewed in public. It’s the least I can do to attempt to raise the IQ of the American people.

THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION IN STORES SEPTEMBER 14
2 CD/ 2 DVD Box Set Containing his Most Cherished Stand-Up, Exclusive Material from Family Archives, Songs by Hicks and Liner Notes by Henry Rollins, Eric Bogosian, Paul Outhwaite and Clive Anderson

Ryko is proud to announce the release of The Essential Collection, a four disc set (2 CD/2 DVD) – out September 14th, 2010 on Ryko – that encompasses Bill Hicks’ short but influential career as a satirist, social critic and stand-up comedian. The package contains double DVD discs with over five hours of footage from Bill Hicks’ personal archives including rare, never-before-seen performances from the early 80’s, the cult short film Ninja Bachelor Party (starring Bill Hicks, Kevin Booth and David Johndrow), in-depth interviews with Hicks and a photo gallery from his family’s keepsakes. The 2 CD discs offer over two hours of his best stand-up material with never-before-released performance pieces from a San Ramon , CA show recorded by Bill Hicks that was found in his archives. The box set also features new liner notes written by family members as well as renowned figures (including Henry Rollins, Eric Bogosian, noted UK author Paul Outhwaite, and UK journalist/tv personality, Clive Anderson), and a download card containing original song recordings by Hicks (that were mastered at Abbey Road Studios – London, England) entitled, Lo-Fi Troubadour.

Hell’s yes. More Bill Hicks is always a great thing. I think Henry Rollins said it well:

“If Bill were around now, America would be a better place.” – Henry Rollins

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The night sky this week will exhibit some spectacular views as three planets align and the annual Perseid meteor shower occurs.

The annual meteor shower is a shooting star fest that should be easiest to see in the west-northwest sky between Wednesday and Friday nights, according to SPACE.com.

For the best view, observers should find a dark spot, well away from street lights, with a good view of the sky, Ronnie Hawes, president of the Cape Fear Astronomical Society in Wilmington, N.C., told the Star-News .

The show continues at sundown Thursday when Venus, Saturn, Mars and the crescent Moon appear close together in the western twilight. You won’t need a telescope to see the alignment, NASA reported.